Trojans Drop First Game of 2022 Season
WADDELL, Ariz. – On Friday evening, the Taylor baseball team lost its first game of the 2022 season to Arizona Christian (5-0) by a score of 7-5. All 12 of the game's runs were scored in a two-inning stretch from the bottom of the fifth through the top of the seventh, a stretch in which momentum bounced back and forth like a ping-pong ball.
After a hitless first-five innings of the game, the Taylor bats came alive in the sixth for two runs, taking the lead after Arizona Christian went up 1-0 in the fifth.
The rally was ignited by senior outfielder, Conner Crawford, and his single to left field. Freshman third baseman, Mason David, then squared around so as to move Crawford up a base but soon found himself on first with a bunt single himself. Drew Loy was subsequently hit by a pitch, keeping the train moving by loading the bases before senior shortstop, Nick Rusche, roped a two-run single to right.
The Trojans would not stay on top for long, however, as the Firestorm stormed back for six runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Taylor rallied for three more in the top of the seventh, but the rally stopped there.
Senior, Noah Huseman, got the nod for the Trojans, tossing five strong innings in which he allowed just two hits and one run, while collecting five strikeouts.
The freshman phenom with the bat, Kaleb Kolpien (0-1), came on to pitch in the sixth, yet was met with great adversity in his first-collegiate outing on the bump. The freshman recorded two outs, while navigating a couple of walks and a hit-by-pitch before senior, Luke Carlson, entered from the pen. Carlson recorded the inning's final out, but the damage had been done and the Trojans found themselves down 7-2.
In the seventh, Camden Knepp sparked the offensive surge with a double to left field, eventually coming around to score on a wild pitch. Sophomore, Matt Dutkowski, drew a walk and Rusche reached on an error, populating the bases for the freshman, Kolpien, to work his magic. The Fort Wayne, Indiana, native drove a line drive passed the third basemen's mitt, driving in two runs to make it a 7-5 ballgame.
Unfortunately, the offense was out of juice after that. Meanwhile Carlson tossed a scoreless eighth frame, before Manchester transfer, Michael Pinarski, put a zero on the board in the ninth.
Five different Trojans recorded a hit throughout the night, yet none reached the multi-hit category. Rusche and Kolpien led the way with two runs-batted-in a piece, with which the senior shortstop now has four on the season.
Taylor (2-1) will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday, January 29th, when the Trojans play their final game in the Coach Calderone Invitational against The Master's University (4-1) at 4:00 pm ET.